This NBA Star’s Life Was Nearly Ruined After He Fell Victim To An Audacious Catfishing Plot

It’s May 2012 and a team of Colorado police officers have descended on NBA player Chris Andersen’s home. Searching for evidence of terrible crimes, their investigation threatens to end his career for good. Slowly, the truth of a bizarre catfishing plot begins to emerge – and it’s stranger than anyone could have imagined.

Born on July 7, 1978, in Long Beach, California, Andersen moved with his family to Texas when he was just four years old. There, they settled in the small town of Iola, where they lived an impoverished life on a small plot of land. Here, Andersen initially seemed destined to follow many of his contemporaries into a life on the wrong side of the law.

However, Andersen soon realized that his skill on the basketball court could be his ticket to a better life. After dropping out of college to pursue a professional sporting career, he traveled from China to New Mexico in search of his big break. Finally, in 2001 he signed with the Denver Nuggets – the first time a D-League player had ever been called up to the NBA.